"That's horrible!" said Fleda, looking at him in woe. "I want to take her in the right way, don't you know?—treat her as if I gave her more than just an hour or two."!

"She's not, she's not: there's nothing in it! Doesn't a fellow know?—except with you!" Owen ruefully added. With this he came out of the room, lowering his voice to secret supplication, pleading with her really to meet him on the ground of the negation of Mona. It was this betrayal of his need of support and sanction that made her retreat—harden herself in the effort to save what might remain of all she had given, given probably for nothing. The very vision of him as he thus morally clung to her was the vision of a weakness somewhere in the core of his bloom, a blessed manly weakness of which, if she had only the valid right, it would be all a sweetness to take care. She faintly sickened, however, with the sense that there was as yet no valid right poor Owen could give. "You can take it from my honor, you know," he whispered, "that she loathes me." "Why must I?" Fleda asked after a moment.

CHAPTER IX Fleda's surprise at this aberration left her a moment looking at him. "Do you mean your marriage is off?" "I've pulled myself together." Fleda paused; then she added: "And I've seen Mr. Owen."